Grabbed by the Grabooberry! - A book for children with unusual visual interpretation

“We joke with each other that we’ll become famous after we die,” laughs Rathna Ramanathan. Anushka Ravishankar’s softer pitched voice joins in. The duo take amiable digs at each other - “I think we need a break from each other” - as they pose for a picture for Madrasplus. But the elation on their faces is plain to see. Yes, they are thrilled to bits, even if the Special Mention in the `White Ravens’ catalogue will bring them no awards, no medals, not even a certificate.
The Ravens catalogue lists 250 books for youth and children from publishers in 49 countries. Special Mentions are given to deserving books, and Anything But a Grabooberry, with delightful nonsense verse by Anushka, illustrated typographically by Rathna, has received one in the catalogue.
“Oh, yes, we are thrilled,” say the cheerful duo. The fact that the book may not immediately become popular reading does not bother them. “The book is a little ahead of its time,” Anuska says, “Some may like it, some may not. But we had so much fun doing it.”
The book, which begins by telling you, ‘I want to be a beehive’ runs into several pages of delightful nonsense verse, stating that it wants to be anything but a grabooberry.
The typeface takes off from where the words end, lending them the requisite visual imagery, so there’s no need for graphic illustration. Words turn into pictures. The bee literally buzzes across the page and an octopus with twelve tentacles stares at you from a page even if it’s just made up of letters and number in different shapes, sizes and fonts.
The book is excellent material for a child just about to begin reading. There is the thrill of discovering new life to words, “Oh look mama, there’s a bee!” “What is a grabooberry? Will it grab me?” Every reading lends itself to fresh meanings and interpretations. However, Anything But a Grabooberry is far from making it to the best-seller lists as yet.
Rathna admits that it will take time before the book takes off. “Adults see books differently from children,” she says, “And it is hard to change pre-conceived ideas of how a book should be.” Adds Anushka, “We somehow felt that the Indian market has missed the point of the book.”
Have we? “The book market is always full of surprises,” says Gita Wolf of Tara Publishing which has brought out the book. At Rs85 per copy, Anything But a Grabooberry is easy to pick up. And who knows? Life is full of surprises, right?